Gattaca

Hooray for more sci-fi!- although a little more updated than Soylent Green. In the future (surprise! a sci-fi film about the future!), people are conceived via in-vitro with the best traits of each parent chosen from them. People conceived naturally are looked down upon even though such discrimination is against the law (sound familiar?-a.k.a. the world we live in RIGHT NOW. o.m.g.).

Ethan Hawke plays Vincent, a naturally conceived young gentleman who aspires to be much more than society is allowing him to be. His brother Anton is conceived the more "conventional" way, and throughout life the two are constantly battling to see who is better. Vincent strives to go into space someday and studies and trains his butt off, only to become a janitor in the work-place of his dreams (where he wouldn't be a janitor)....but he's still a janitor. Damn. Then enter Jude Law playing Jerome Eugene Morrow, an almost-perfect human specimen who oh-so-conveniently has gone into seclusion due to an accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Vincent jumps at the chance to finally become what he wants to be, risking his and Jerome's reputation (although Jerome doesn't really care, because even though he's a 9.3, he's dug himself into a pit of self-hatred and despair because of his perfectness. What a terrible life he has.) Anywho, an accident occurs at Gattaca Aerospace...whatever...leaving one if its head guys dead and Vincent as the prime suspect.

Throughout the film we see numerous issues about genetics, perfection, life, siblings, souls, etc etc, but who cares. It's just a movie. Oh, a good thing to note: Anton and Vincent play a game where they swim out to sea and see who can swim out farthest without getting tired and/or scared. Usually Anton beats Vincent, but one time Anton gets tired and starts to drown, so Vincent has to come back and save him! They had a bit of a falling-out because obviously Anton is crushed that his genetically inferior brother beat him at his own game. Later on, Anton comes back for one more game, but Vincent still beats him! Anton asks Vincent how he does it!, and Vincent answers:

"I never saved anything for the way back."

Hoo-rah! Well. That was pretty decent. Kinda cheesey, but hey, it's 1997. When are we going to ever see a decent sci-fi flick?...Oh there was Avat....nevermind...